Monday's Heroes and Zeros

Evenin' peeps, and anyone else checking in - welcome and thank you for stopping by. Before I start, let me say four words that sums up my state of mind/mood right now - before any smart ass asks if two of those words include "Hazel" and "Mae"...well never mind. The four words are, in order...Port - Dark Chocolate - Good. I always prayed that modern science would see the benefits of chocolate...lets hear it for research on anti-oxidants.

Ok so to recap some of the highlights and lowlights over the weekend, and in the last week or so in the wonderful world of sports. There are a few people who should be applauded for their actions...this week - European soccer figures prominently in both the Heroes and Zeros section.

Heroes
I would love to start with Adriano and or Luis Figo of Inter Milan...but I have to start with Italian soccer referee Pierluigi Collina for the show of honesty and integrity he has long been lauded for. If you don't know Mr. Collina, he is a bald man (resembling the weird looking bald guy in the old Friday the 13th movies...you know who I'm talking about right?). Mr Collina recently retired from officiating international soccer matches - Collina was going to focus on Italian soccer and move into an easier life. He recently signed a sponsorship deal with a car manufacturer called Opel - Opel happens to sponsor Italian soccer club A.C. Milan (who are definitely in this week's zeros). Collina, against the wishes of the Italian soccer federation, resigned from his duties, citing a conflict of interest. There isn't a person in the world that could possibly think that Collina would let this deal interfere with his duties on the pitch...but he showed himself to be a man of honour, integrity and honesty. Bravo Mr. Collina...you really didn't have to...but bravo! (I think Hazel would approve).

Adriano, Brazilian striker for Inter Milan scored all three goals on Sunday as Inter won their opening match of the Italian Serie A season, 3 - 0. At the risk of boring any of the regular readers with this...I am picking Adriano to be this year FIFA World Player of the Year...I think he will edge out Ronaldinho and Steven Gerrard.

Luis Figo merits mention for his debut too...from all accounts it was a very good showing for THE MAN deemed expendable by Zinedine...errrrrrrrrrr sorry, Real Madrid. Inter's fans gave him an ovation every time he touched the ball...with this being a World Cup year, expect big things from the man who brought Portuguese soccer back to the world stage. Start practicing that pronounciation Hazel...

Ken Griffey Jr. You may or may not know this, but Jr. is one of the leaders of Hazel's Heroes...my roto league team (currently in 2nd place despite a rash of pitching injuries). Griffey has had a tough go of it over the last few years...but he is having a great season. Good on Jr. Good for Hazel's Heroes. :)

Now for the Zeros
Rogers Sportsnet (Hazel's former employers...and no this one doesn't have anything to do with the fact they dropped the ball when they let her get away). The Jays aren't playing tonight...and Rogers decides to show fans in Ontario the Cards vs. Marlins game. HUH? St. Louis and Florida? With all of the Tiger fans in Southern Ontario, not to mention Red Sox Nation north...and Rogers shows us that crap? Please...no talk of Wild Card Races in the NL...we are talking Tigers and Sox...enough said. Ok..FINE. Tigers, Sox and Hazel's updates...enough said. Rogers sucks...ok, maybe they don't suck (strictly to disuade them from ever pulling plug on Sox games - hahahaha)...but they really piss me off sometimes.

Fans of the Ottawa Senators - they are telling anyone who will listen that Marian Hossa had lived out his usefulness in Ottawa and had to go. I think everyone knows that is a load of crap...it was strictly a money move and Ottawa would have loved to keep him if the price was to their liking - in other words, had he signed for $ 4 Million...$4.5 Million...or maybe even $5 Million...the trade for Heatley never happens and Ottawa fans continue to say he is one of the best players in the league. Senator fans (especially the media hacks) you guys really bite the big one.

Pierre McGuire, TSN Hockey Analyst (no jokes on that...I swear). For those of you fortunate enough not to live in Ottawa...McGuire does a daily radio spot on the sport radio station here - consider it his ongoing audition/job interview for the Sens GM job. While its bad enough to listen to him gush about the Ottawa Senators...its impossible to listen to him continue to butcher the English language has he repeatedly bashes listeners over the head with big words that he uses incorrectly and out of context - the latest one from Friday...talking about Hossa leaving the Senators and the mistake he and other players are making in asking for big contracts...Pierre says "Players still operate in an air of INEVITABILITY...they still think they can get away with anything...without reprecussions" - huh? inevitability? I think you meant to say invincibility...thanks Pierre.

Ok, time for the disclaimer "the following does not reflect thoughts, comments or suggestions from Hazel Mae...it was not reviewed, amended or commented on by Hazel Mae...the thoughts and opinions about to be expressed are those of the author (me) and do not reflect the views of Hazel Mae" (hey...bet you never thought I could get "Hazel Mae" in a sentence three times).

David Wells and Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox...If you have read this page before, you know I'm not a fan of Schilling - outside the diamond - he's a fantastic pitcher...but. This past week both Wells and Schilling publicly turned on Rafael Palmeiro - with Schilling taking a shot and Wells complaining about what Palmeiro did this year...what if some of the games he had against Boston ends up costing them the division. I'm not saying that what either of them said was necessarily wrong...but what ever happened to solidarity? Palmeiro is part of the same player's union as these two...to turn on one of their one is weak. I wonder how someone like David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez might feel about the comments of these two. Ortiz has maintained a neutral position in all this...I don't think he would take kindly to remarks like those. Here is another thought for Wells...what if someone on his team this year...or in any years previous...was or were on steroids? I'm sure Wells has benefitted from some steroid-enhanced performances...just ask Schilling - didn't Curt say that 30 - 50% of major leaguers were on something? Just a thought Boomer...you've always been a character...don't turn into a jack ass at the end of your career.

The Florida Marlins management who suspended a bat boy for six games who threw up in the Marlins club house after trying to down a gallon (4.4 litres) of milk on a dare/bet from Dodgers' pitcher (and former Marlin) Brad Penny. Penny offered to give the kid $500 bucks if he could. Suspending the bat boy? Give me a break...Penny shot back to the Miami Herald "It's kind of ridiculous you get a 10 game suspension for steroids and a six-game suspension for milk". Nice.

I think that about wraps it up for tonight...there are a couple of other people who deserve honourable mention...but let's not go there. After all, we ended on a high note with the Brad Penny crack...didn't we? I would like to think that one would make Hazel crack a smile if she was peeking in.

So I'm going to wish one and all a great night (or day...depending on when you are checking in - some people actually check in late at night...imagine that...I wonder if ... never mind...I won't go into who might be checking in). As usual...a wish for a groovy day for Hazel..from the author of this page...here's hoping that the content in tonights entry would not meet with her disapproval..but rather bring a smile/smirk/snicker.

The Song of the Day on Hazelspeeps - what Marian Hossa must be saying to Ottawa Senator fans...what Palmeiro must be thinking when his peers and members of his own union turn on him...what Pierre McGuire must be saying to Ottawa Senators management everyday that he isn't in their colours...what the Marlins batboy must have been thinking when we was suspended...

I give you a slice of 80's Cheese/Fromage (what can I say...I flicked the radio to one of those "playing what we want...when we want" stations...

Don't You Want Me - Human League
(no complaints...unless you wanna make a suggestion)

Peesth Out.